we supported them back in 1991 when bill clinton was running for president. no problem on that. it is a reasonable adjustment, but may not be sufficient to reach the targets we need, and it does not help us in bipartisan bargaining, reaching a deal. i hope as this negotiation -- we ought to be at the irish times -- that they will not make a fetish of marginal tax rates if they should go up some, but do they need to go back where they were? i do not know. lots of ways to increase taxes on rich people, and it may be that a hybrid of marginal tax increases and the kind of base- broadening, loophole closing, expenditure closing that simpson-bowles proposed should be part of the mix. raising marginal rates does not guarantee you will get your intended target. very rich people depend more on investment income than on their labor income. if you want to get them -- and this is where mitt romney was able to pay a 14% tax rate on earnings of $14 million -- so if you are trying to get the super-rich, the top tenth of 1%, it may be that marginal tax rates does not serve your purpose. whatev